2 min read • January 10, 2022
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Klay Thompson, the Warriors pivotal shooting guard, made his much anticipated return Sunday night in the win over the Cavaliers.
The 31-year-old wasted no time regaining his offensive form, scoring 17 points on 7-18 shooting and 3-8 from three in 20 minutes.
Thompson had not played in a game for 941 days before his return at the Chase Center. He tore the ACL in his left knee in June 2019, then tore his right Achilles tendon 15 months later.
As the ProBasketballDocs team predicted, Thompson's offensive effectiveness is well ahead of his defense.
On one particular possession late in the first half, Cleveland forward Lamar Stevens catches the ball near the left corner and blows by Thompson for a dunk.
Although it's just one example, the ProBasketballDocs team thinks that its a good indication of where the five-time all star is at in his recovery process.
Now that he is back on the court and in game action, he will need time to reacclimate his defense and his conditioning to respond to defensive situations.
By video, his left knee is not a concern because of the lengthy recovery afforded by Achilles injury.
Thompson even had an emphatic dunk late in the second quarter jumping off of his left leg.
Overall, Thompson's return showed fantastic progress for a player who had been out of game action for over two-and-a-half years.
The ProBasketballDocs team expects the three-time NBA champion to look better and better, especially on the defensive end, as the season progresses.
The Warriors face the Grizzlies in Memphis Tuesday night, then play the Bucks in Milwaukee Thursday on TNT.
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